The tea is hot and the rumors are true.
District 2 councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and former District 6 councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda are teaming up to open a tattoo studio, dubbed Zorra London, within the city’s Pride Cultural Heritage District – otherwise known as “the gayest strip in San Antonio,” or simply the Gay Strip.
The pair of former city colleagues and current business partners confirmed as much in a Wednesday post to social media, which featured a video with a quirky little intro. “Girl, guess what … I’m in our brand-new tattoo studio,” McKee-Rodriguez said over the phone. “What? I’m in our brand-new tattoo studio,” Havrda answered.
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By introducing a tattoo studio to San Antonio’s Pride Cultural Heritage District, McKee-Rodriguez and Havrda hoped create a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community while supporting San Antonio’s arts scene. (Courtesy Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Melissa Cabello Havrda, Zorra London Tattoo Studio)
The two scooted into the same frame until they bumped into one another for a slapstick comedy-style moment: “Oh! There you are,” Havrda said. “You heard that right,” she added. “We’re opening a tattoo studio,” McKee-Rodriguez finished.
In a Friday calls with the Express-News, both McKee-Rodriguez and Havrda said the idea has been in the works for months since they discovered the location’s former tenant, Culture Hair Studio, had closed down in January after seven years of doing business at its 1426 N. Main Ave. outpost.
“That was very unfortunate,” he said, noting how the salon served as a safe space for the city’s LGBTQIA+ community. He said that by introducing a tattoo studio to the area, he and Havrda hoped create a similar refuge while supporting San Antonio’s arts scene.
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The pair of former city colleagues and current business partners confirmed they were opening a tattoo shop together on San Antonio’s Gay Strip in a Wednesday post to social media. (Courtesy Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Melissa Cabello Havrda, Zorra London Tattoo Studio)
“Beyond a tattoo studio, something I’ve always wanted to do is create an artistic space with opportunities for expression,” McKee-Rodriguez told the Express-News. “For me, tattoos have become this opportunity to express yourself and treat yourself as a canvas,” he added. “Beyond creating a space that’s inclusive and safe for the LGBTQ+ community, I want it to be a place that’s affirming.”
Havrda, who largely handled the logistics when it came to the studio’s establishment and rollout, wholeheartedly agreed.
“This is us walking the walk, not just talking the talk,” Havrda said, noting that although San Antonio is a city that’s historically hosted many inclusive spaces for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, it still wasn’t necessarily welcoming.
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District 2 councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez works to set up chairs ahead of Zorra London’s Saturday soft opening. (Courtesy Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Melissa Cabello Havrda, Zorra London Tattoo Studio)
“It’s showing love and appreciation for the community,” she added. “This (studio) being on the Gay Strip, right in the heart of Main Ave. is not only welcoming, but inviting” members of the LGBTQIA+ community by saying, “this is for you.”
Zorra London is in its soft opening phase McKee-Rodriguez and Havrda further hammer out the logistics, although potential patrons can stop by from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday at 1426 N. Main Ave. for a flash tattoo event in honor of Pride.
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In a Friday call with the Express-News, both McKee-Rodriguez and Havrda said bringing the tattoo studio to life has been a months-long effort. (Courtesy Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Melissa Cabello Havrda, Zorra London Tattoo Studio)
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This article originally published at Plot twist: Two San Antonio political figures just teamed up to open a tattoo studio.